Tag: seasonal rhythms

Contemplative Practices, Seasonal Rhythms, Writing

Glimmers for September

Stacey Hayes

Here we are as summer wanes. Last September I wrote about this being a month of transitions. And as seasonal rhythms remind us — with their reassuring and predictable patterns — this theme has emerged again. 

Transition times are an opportunity to honor and cherish the gifts of the passing season as we anticipate the graces to come. Paging back through my journal, I note the gifts of summer—the first sighting of fireflies, the increased activity of Eastern Cottontails, and the pollinators  in full force, especially on the mountain mint and bee balm. I also noted how summer calls my spirit both to play and deep rest.

These were documented in what I call a list of “noticings.” My personality by nature longs for lists—metaphorical containers that hold “to dos,” groceries to be purchased, homeschool tasks, and books to check out from the library. These practical lists help me to feel not only organized but rooted. I feel sort of lost without them.

The most nourishing type of list for me, though, is one that records the moments that stand out in both my inner and outer landscapes. These “glimmers” are simple moments of joy and peace that I encounter in the small wonders around (and within) me. My journal is filled with these. When I cannot muster the creative energy or time to write proper prose, I start with a list. 

This practice stirs my creativity and deepens my appreciation for the glimmers in day-to-day life. My lists of “noticings” have become a form of meditation and contemplative practice. They are collections of observations, wonder, and insights that I can return to again and again. It is a gift to page back through my journals and be reminded of glimmers from previous seasons and years.

My most recent list includes:

~ The hummingbird has been spending more time at the feeder preparing for fall migration.

~ Subtle yellow hues on the elm tree

~ Waning daylight

~ Birds still molting (Carolina wren is missing a tail feather)

~ Goldenrod: a symbol of the seasonal transition as it leans into autumn, offering its beauty and sustenance. A bridge between seasons. A keystone species.

~ I am slowly coming out of a fallow creative season. A necessary time of waiting and listening to hear what rises and unfolds.

These lists have no rules; there are no “to do’s.” They are unassuming. They are whatever is needed in the moment.

When woven together, these life-giving lists tell a story of how my inner and outer landscapes intertwine. They become more than the sum of their parts—they become a form of wholeness.

So when your well fills dry or you are longing for a sacred pause, consider making a list of  “noticings.” Over time you may notice patterns or themes emerge. You will also become more in tune with subtle shifts in the seasons—and how those shifts are reflected within you.


Goldenrod 
Scientific name: Solidago
(Latin for solidus, “to make whole”)
Seasonal Rhythms

Scattering Seeds

Stacey Hayes

On Hope & Possibility

This past week the pine pollen dusted the neighborhood. It was a yellow backdrop to little helicopters raining everywhere. These green and pink winged wonders whirled and swirled off the maple tree in the front yard. Officially called samaras, they are designed to sow. To move with the wind. To scatter seeds of hope and possibility. 

By nature I am usually contemplative and introspective, but spring brings out an active and outward energy in me. Spring calls me to my outer landscape to watch the greening of the woods, the emergence of bees, the shifting energy of birds into a drive to nest, and the awakening of flowers and trees. I am not typically much of a gardener, but this season calls forth a strong motivation to plant more native plants in our yard (for said bees and birds). To join in with the rhythms around me.

As nature seeds out, the earth urges us to plant literal seeds in our gardens and figurative seeds of hope in the days to come — trusting the mystery and unexpected delight that will emerge in future seasons.

Today is a day of scattering potential and possibility. After all, spring reminds us that planting, hoping, and dreaming are all part of the natural cycle. 

Moved to Stillness

Let the wind gather you—

your scattered thoughts and worries.

Swiftly, gently blowing across your skin.

Quenching it as winged maple seeds

rain on your body. A moment

in motion, yet, still within—

a pause. A call to be right here,

right now. Even as you feel the internal

pull of dirty dishes and piling laundry.

This moment carried by the wind

grounds you in sacred stillness,

while scattering seeds

of possibility at your feet.

~ Stacey Hayes

invitations

~ Notice: Pay close attention to your landscape and notice nature’s seeds that are being sowed this season. Let them remind you of possibility.

~ Note: Make notes of “seeds” in a journal — these could be glimmers that capture your attention, a list of nature’s wonders, creative ideas, or moments of inspiration.

~ Plant: Plant a garden, a flowerbed, or a pot on your front porch.

Maple seeds embody hope and potential.
Seasonal Wisdom

A Poetic Season

Stacey Hayes

Poetry as meditation, inspiration, and devotion…

As winter releases and spring unfolds, we enter an undeniably poetic season. Small wonders are emerging, and the landscape will dramatically shift over the coming weeks. The compact form of a poem can capture seasonal transitions, tiny wonders, sweeping landscapes, and everything in-between. They help us to pause. To remember. To honor.

I admit poetry hasn’t always been the type of writing I most turn to. But lately, the poetic form has opened up streams of compassion and expression within me. I find myself reaching for a little book of poems — an anthology filled with wonder — to pause and savor. I read poetry as both solace and inspiration. Not surprisingly, reading poetry has been proven to calm the nervous system and promote an overall sense of well-being. I’ve come to embrace poetry as a contemplative practice, and in this transitional season, I offer this poem.

On the Precipice of Spring

The brown thrasher plucks

a twig from the dense thicket.

A gesture of intention.

Then a subtle song of hope—

a rite to mark the passing

of a season and the

unfolding of another.

My eyes lock in wonder.

Ancestral wisdom,

seasonal rhythms

hold us, shape us,

soften us 

as the wintered earth

softens into spring.

~ Stacey Hayes

I wrote this after watching two thrashers gather nest materials from the holly bush beside our front porch. Thrashers are notably shy, and I was able to witness this moment quietly from a window. I recently learned that they can sing over 1,000 songs, and like the mockingbird, they imitate other bird songs.

Poetic Invitations

~ Allow yourself to pause by savoring a poem. Let the words wash over you, soothe you, awaken you, inspire you.

~ Consider writing a poem to honor the passing season of winter — to honor its gifts and graces. 

~ Find a poem that resonates with you and invite it to spark your writing. For example, you may want to choose a line from it to use as the first line of your poem. 

Poets who Inspire

Deeply connected to the natural world, these two poets write with compassion and speak to me in this season of my life:

~ Mary Oliver, especially her anthology Devotions

~ James Crews, especially The Wonder of Small Things edited by Crews

The trout lilies have emerged—sprinkled like confetti on the forest floor behind our home. These spring ephemerals are poetic wonders that symbolize hope and resilience for me. Read more about them here.
All Seasons, Contemplative Practices, Ecospirituality, Nature’s Wisdom, Seasonal Rhythms, Seasonal Wisdom

Soulful Micro Seasons

Stacey Hayes

A dear friend recently shared how late summer can feel stagnant and uninspiring. This is a person who thrives in new scenery and vast landscapes. I reminded him that a possible antidote is to connect with the wonder and subtle changes happening right under our noses—in our own habitats.

It’s human nature to become desensitized to the things we see every day and to forget to appreciate the life teeming in our backyards. The framework of micro seasons can help us rediscover the small wonders and micro changes unfolding before us. The tiniest mushroom that wasn’t there yesterday. The sunflower that has finally opened after a season of growth. The figs that have ripened after an abundance of rain and that are being enjoyed by a host of critters. The poke berry that’s turned from green to burgundy. 

Micro seasons are an alternative way of measuring time. Of deepening our seasonal wisdom. Micro seasons celebrate life cycles and the transient nature of things. They also offer comfort and reassurance in seasonal patterns and predictable rhythms. They are an opportunity to honor the sacred in the familiar.

The ancient Japanese calendar had 72 micro seasons lasting approximately five days each. Here they are for August: 

August 3-7: Great rains sometimes fall

August 8-12: Cool winds blow

August 13-17: Evening cicadas sing

August 18-22: Thick fog descends

August 23-27: Cotton flowers open

But of course our own micro seasons will be unique depending on our habitats and what captures our attention. This practice can be a form of observation, reflection, and devotion. As I look back on the micro seasons I’ve experienced in past weeks — the spring trout lilies, the periodical cicadas, the June fireflies, the wildflowers of July — my sense of gratitude swells. These moments are also touchstones to what was going on in my life at that time. Micro seasons are mileposts on the inward and outward journey as we mark the passage of time in relationship to the natural world.

an invitation

You may want to embrace the practice of micro seasons as a form of self-care that offers solace, wisdom, and wonder.

How do you identify a micro season?

You begin by noticing. By being curious.

By observing your local habitat — on walks, while looking out your window, or spending time in your yard or neighborhood.

As you slow down, notice what shimmers and shines for you.

What captures your attention, senses, and imagination?

What is a key moment or pattern being revealed in the natural world this week? 

What is delighting you?

What do you want to learn more about?

These are the questions that guide your discovery of a micro season. Then, once you’ve identified one, you may want to document it in a way that is meaningful for you—a short description, a series of photos, a drawing, a journal entry, or a conversation.

a blessing

May the micro seasons you experience help you to behold the gifts offered each day. May cultivating this practice foster deep seeing, deep feeling, and deep expression as we honor the unfolding seasons—day after day, week after week.